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BOOK REVIEW
The Classic Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
**SPOILER ALERT**
I somehow missed reading Bradbury’s classic in school and never picked it up on my own — until now. Even though there are some elements that date the book (it was written in 1953), I found many themes and questions identical to those of the present and even more relevant today. The writing is lovely. The sentence structure is varied: Bradbury writes long sentences that are clear and comprehensible; Bradbury’s vocabulary is wide-ranging and pointed much more so than in today’s popular books. Toward the end of the book is a paragraph narrating a group of men frying bacon. The sentences are deliciously staccato, mimicking the sizzle of bacon grease in a pan.
The Characters
All are one-dimensional and unnuanced, but this style is necessary for a story characterizing each person as an archetype — Montag/hero, Clarissa/ingenue, etc.
The broader themes of violence, censorship, anti-intellectualism, social pressure, consumerism, and war can all be explored on a deeper level. The reader expects only the main character, Montag, to be transformed as he completes the mythical hero’s journey.
